


Bittersweet

by thisisnotwhatihadplanned



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Childhood Friends, Cute, based on lemon boy by cavetown, uhh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2021-01-23 08:00:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21316825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisisnotwhatihadplanned/pseuds/thisisnotwhatihadplanned
Summary: "Not to be rude, but what are you?""Human, sort of, plant mostly."
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	Bittersweet

Josh's popsickle is turning his tounge red. He knows this because he's eating it in front of bathroom mirror. 

The whole house is buzzing today. Box fans blow warm air into the house, and his mom was already in full gear when Josh woke up. That's why he's hiding; avoiding is a better word to use. He really doesn't want to dust (boring) or weed the garden (hot) or water the garden (boring and hot). He's also not supposed to eat a popsickle unless he's standing over the trash can. Someone sighs to his left. 

"Josh, eat that outside on the porch. You're getting everything sticky." 

"Okay." 

Nothing about chores? Maybe Josh is off the hook. He can hope. 

"Have you weeded the garden today? Or watered the plants? You're supposed to dust too before your father comes home." 

Josh slumps his shoulders. The melting popsickle is dripping on his hand. 

"No, Mom." 

"Why don't you go work in the yard after you finish that pop?" 

Josh's mom is smiling and acting as if she just told Josh to go bowling with his friends.

"Okay."

His sticky hands turn dusty. There are some tough weeds in his mom's garden. Josh is bored within the first two minutes and starts to throw the weeds to Pinky for her to swat. Pinky's a lazy cat, so their game doesn't last long. 

Sighing, Josh gives up on a dandelion that must've had ten foot roots and moves to the next one. 

This one has leaves unlike any other weed he'd pulled. Was it Poison Ivy? No. No, Josh would've started itching by now. 

They're really neat leaves, and Josh wants to keep them for something. For what, he doesn't know. 

"Aaaaauuuugh!"

Josh jumps back and lands on his butt. The weed screamed at him! That isn't possible. Weeds don't make noise. 

It could be something else, a neighbor, his brothers, but it came from the ground. He's sure of it. 

Josh briefly considers telling his brother, but Jordan would most likely tell him to stop being a baby even though he's two years younger and a whole lot more of a baby. Instead, he sits on his knees again and pulls a second time. 

"Ow!"

This exclamation frightens Josh more. It can't be coincidence. Curiosity takes over, and he reaches for his mother's trowel. He starts gently, pushing the topsoil away from the plant. He sees brown. But not dirt. It's more like hair. 

"Who are you?"

It's Josh's turn to yell.

"That's not your name is it?"

"Uh-um."

There's a person in his mother's garden. 

A person.

Under the ground. 

The boy (it must be a little boy, because he's about Josh's size) is reaching toward him. Josh flinches.

Hurt flashes across the boy's eyes and Josh hurts for him.

"Sorry! Sorry. You just scared me." 

The boy (creature? fairy? gnome?) recomposes himself. 

"You've uncovered me, so you gotta help me out."

Josh just nodded. 

Josh pulled, and pulled, and pulled, and eventually the boy was free. 

"What's your name?"

"I don't have one." This was said nonchalantly. Josh thought it would be terrible to have no name.

"Mine's Josh." 

"Josh." He looked like he was considering the sound. 

"You need a name."

"What?"

Josh's shyness came back when the adrenaline left. His voice quieted, the way it did when his mother would make him say prayers in front of the sunday school class. 

"Um, you look like a Tyler, yeah. Can I call you Tyler?

"Yes. I like it. Tyler."

Tyler was filthy. He looked like he'd been buried alive. He was buried alive. Stray roots were wrapped around his legs, and he was naked. Josh wasn't the type to giggle however, and this whole situation was so bizzare that was the last thing on his mind. 

Zombies. Josh hated thinking about zombies. He startled when Tyler grabbed his wrist, where his pulse was. 

"You grow quickly, Josh."

Huh?

"You're taller than me."

"I'm much older, I think. I remember other people here. Before you."

Mr. Jefferson was getting his mail.

"Here. Let's stand behind this bush."

"It's warmer over here."

"It's hot everywhere."

"I'm cold."

"Just-" Josh led him by the arm over to the bushes.

After his neighbor turned around he continued.

"Not to be rude, but what are you?"

"Human, sort of. Plant, mostly."

"Why?"

"People put me here. I was dying, I think. Of course, back then I was too young to have a concept of death. I loved the people very much though, so I'm guessing they were my parents."

Josh thought about this. It was too fantastical to imagine. Maybe in a movie, but not real life. 

"You need clothes. And a bath. Unless you want to go back...?"

"No. I like the sun. I'm staying with you."

"Okay."

They planned their break in. It was Josh's own house, but still. He gestured to Tyler. The boy would sneak in the garage door while Josh distracted his mother. 

All of this sent a strange thrill through Josh's bones. His summer boredom was cured, at least for today.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
